Sony launches Wonderbook AR accessory for PS3 - JK Rowling's Book of Spells to be first up

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Sony has launched Wonderbook for the PlayStation 3, a real-life physical object that, when combined with the PlayStation Eye and a touch of augmented reality wizardry, creates interactive experiences on screen.

And the first title to be released will be Book of Spells, created in partnership with JK Rowling and her Pottermore overarching company.

The AR book allows the user essentially to become a student of Hogwarts, the school of magic and witchcraft that was central to the author's Harry Potter series. Using the Wonderbook, PlayStation Eye and the PlayStation Move as a magic wand, players will be able to learn and create the same spells as seen and described in the incredibly successful movies and books.

Announced during Sony's E3 press conference in LA on Monday, the Wonderbook accessory will have other titles to follow, including Diggs Nightcrawler, but it will no doubt be the tie-in with the Potter franchise that will help its immediate adoption among the younger fraternity.

The Wonderbook and Book of Spells will be released in the run-up to Christmas, although there's currently no indication of cost for either the accessory or its first interactive title.

What do you think of the AR Wonderbook? Good idea or not? Let us know in the comments below...